Based on Stephen King's novella, Rita Hayworth And The ShawshankRedemption, this appallingly entitled movie was initially faintly praised by critics. Roger Ebert gave it a polite three-and-a-half stars, others lazily regurgitated the production notes about the triumph of the human spirit. At 142 minutes, it did mediocre business at the box office.

It stars Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, a young New England banker imprisoned for murdering his wife. His opening years in Shawshank are made more harrowing by a series of sexual assaults. However, he keeps his spirits afloat through his friendship with prison fixer Red (Morgan Freeman). He also falls in with Bob Gunton's corrupt warden, whom he helps operate a financial scam. However, the warden turns against him when Dufresne finds a fellow inmate who can prove he was jailed unjustly. All this time, however, Dufresne has been planning his escape, chipping away for 20 years at his cell wall with a tiny rock hammer until finally...

Shawshank took on a gigantic afterlife on video, doing extraordinary business by word of mouth, going down great not just among Bridges Of Madison County-reading types but the sort of hard-bitten cineaste cynics often vulnerable to cheap sentimentalism. The Duchess Of York liked it too. By 1999 it was topping all-time greatest list polls-it was Number Three in Channel Four's Top 100 movies.

What was once regarded a respectable but ponderous vehicle for Robbins' wobbly bottom lip is now hailed as a milestone- as opposed to the long, self-important, po-faced streak of excruciatingly contrived, suffocatingly trite nonsense it is.

One of Shawshank's great masterstrokes is supposedly the casting of Freeman as narrator Red (an Irishman in the novella). However, the casting reveals director Frank Darabont's insidiously quaint attitude towards 'blackness', more fully revealed in The Green Mile, his derided follow-up. The casting of Freeman isn't political correctness but intended to add a folksy, Uncle Remus-style warmth by associaton to Dufresne, who otherwise would be exposed for the cold, calculating, remote white fish he is. Freeman doesn't break into a chorus of "Zippedeedoodah", but if often sounds like he's about to.

The fuzzy illogic extends to the prison community. Shawshank apologists claim the film is partly an indictment of the evils of incarceration, yet the inmates Robbins is surrounded by must be vindication for the nasty warden's methods, because a more amiable, mild-mannered bunch you could not hope to meet (the homosexuals excepted, of course). As lifers they must have committed terrible deeds, but judging by their on-screen behaviour they could slide meekly back into society tomorrow. When Dufresne broadcasts Mozart to the prison yard, they stand stock still in appreciation, rather then yell "Someone turn that fuckin' fairy-ass music off" like you imagine some jailbirds might. Morever, this being a US prison in the Forties/Fifties, their lack of racism, lack of knowledge that racism exists, does them extraordinary credit.

Shawshank is a world unto itself, where in 20 years no one seems to age more than six months, where Dufresne can describe a field as" like something from a Robert Frost poem" and rely on his fellow con knowing what he's talking about, where you can escape through a hole in your cell wall and somehow tack back the poster that concealed it for several years neatly in place behind you.

Dufresne's escape is far less a monument to hope than to the belief-beggaring negligence of Shawshank authorities. I've seen more convincing prison breaks in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Yet this is the catalytic event upon which the film's supposedly immortal quotes hang -"Get busy living or get busy dying" or "Fear can hold you prisoner-hope can set you free", lines so banal they insult even the intelligence of middle America. With it's lachymorose soundtrack, grandiose manipulation (culminating in Robbins' Christ-like pose when he escapes) and utter disregard for the rules and limitations of the world we live in, Shawshank is an especially crass piece of Hollywood hokum whose slowness has been mistaken for gravitas, its sentimentality for sublimity. A sequel, Shawhank 2: This Time NoFucking Around, He Gets The Chair, might redeem matters, however... The Reaper

ORIGINAL: Mason Verger A sequel, Shawhank 2: This Time NoFucking Around, He Gets The Chair

Quite an amusing review but wrong on all counts. I watched this again only last week (first time for Mrs Jonson who thought it was wonderful) and I enjoyed it as much as I did some 10 years ago when I first saw it. Fabulous film and worthy of it's regular Top 10 mentions. I think the warden and guards are far more scary in the book though especially the scene when he asks him if he trusts his wife.

Saw this one at the movies in 1995. Bought the video then the DVD. Have watched it various times and used it as a class text in lessons with senior pupils. Young people especially seem to love it. A truly lovely film, warts and all. Flawless performances from everyone, recognising that some (Bob Gunton) are playing 'types' who aren't meant to have anything but stereotypical qualities. Boggs was a bastard but I still felt pity when he was dragged screaming back to his cell. Sure there are innumerable gaffs and jail house movie clichés but who cares? There are some brilliant subtleties too: when Brooks leaves prison the camera looks back past him into the prison showing he can't leave. When the scene is replayed as Red leaves the camera is in the prison looking outward to freedom. Simple, but very eloquent.

I watched this movie when I was felling quite sad and wanted to get myself even more bored by watching a prison movie. It was not what I expected Shawkshank may start out a little weak, but picks up from there and makes use of every second of film. My brother's seen this movie twice, unfortunatly I've only seen it once, but tend to revisit Andy Dufrene in prison soon.

All in all a great movie that will lift your spirits.

Fear can keep you prisoner Hope Can set you free

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" I believe that all of life's answers can be found in the right Spielberg film. "

I'm a bloke, but I couldn't help but cry at the end of this film. One of the greatest ever made, undoubtedly the best never to win any Oscars whatsoever. I know Forrest Gump came out in the same year, and Pulp Fiction, and Gump was a deserved winner, but this is still outstandingly good.

I was hassled into watching this by a friend as I'd thought it didn't look like my kind of thing but I'm so grateful he did. Fantastic film, one of my favourite films of all time. My only gripe is it has since led me to watch some pretty terrible films because Morgan Freeman is in them!

Great films stir emotions. They have an impact that lasts long beyond the trip to the cinema. They give you an opportunity to reflect on your life, to ponder on the moments and they can inspire. The often misnamed ‘Shawshank Redemption’ (Scrimshaw Reduction?) was a box office failure when it came out in the UK in 1995. It’s a story about 2 men, in prison in the 1940s, 50s and 60s and what happens to them... and that sounds pretty dull. But actually there is a simple message to this film and that is that hope is a good thing and nothing good ever dies. It’s about the harsh and violent injustices that beset the central character including one of my personal greatest fears – being locked up for something I didn’t do. The enigmatic Andy Dufresne goes on a 20 year journey of triumph in the face of adversity – a metaphorical and literal crawl through **** There are some powerful messages at play: that we can all become institutionalised in jobs or relationships, but that if we stick with them and believe in ourselves we will get to where we are aiming in the end. My passion for this film is that it is about life changing friendships and bonds between men which we quite often find difficult to express. It leaves a lump in the throat every time. Having seen it with my girlfriend, I went to see it two days later with my best friend and when it came out on video I rented it and watched it with my dad. It’s a life affirmation film and when I’m fed up it never fails to give me the reminder that “sometimes it all comes down to a simple choice – get busy living or get busy dying.” In my humble opinion, this is the greatest film of all time.

This film is not only the greatest film of all time but the soundtrack is something to be admired creating an excellent effect creating inspirational scenes twinned with the most amazing acting and heatwarming moments make the film just perfect.

My friend once asked me if this was a good film and if i thought he'd like it and i said"Do you like any film?"and he said"Yeah"and then I said"Then you're gonna love this"and i was right.In fact,he kept on borrowing it for like every month afterwards until I finally bought it for him for Christmas,(even though it was just September.)So,anyway,this is a must-see.Greatest film I've ever seen.(and WWAAAAYY better than Forrest Gump!

The Shawshank Redemption is one of those movies that could never be re-maded (don't you dare, Hollywood) and have that rare five star rating from a very picky reviewer (ie me). After checking out The Green Mile which I deeply enjoyed, I rented this out and finished it off last night. Ground-breaking pefomances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, a greatly written script, some shocking/tender/emotional moments and that ending which will leave you with a lump in your throat. Highly recommened if you haven't seen it yet.

The Shawshank Redemption is one of those movies that could never be re-maded (don't you dare, Hollywood) and have that rare five star rating from a very picky reviewer (ie me). After checking out The Green Mile which I deeply enjoyed, I rented this out and finished it off last night. Ground-breaking pefomances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, a greatly written script, some shocking/tender/emotional moments and that ending which will leave you with a lump in your throat. Highly recommened if you haven't seen it yet.